


i'd save the receptionist

by traineecorps



Category: Bleach
Genre: F/M, Ichihime - Freeform, Pining, Slow Burn, The Office AU, has this been done before lol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-14
Updated: 2018-12-14
Packaged: 2019-09-18 00:23:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16984605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/traineecorps/pseuds/traineecorps
Summary: "suppose your office building's on fire. ichigo, who would you save?"ichihime the office au. does as the tin says.





	i'd save the receptionist

**Author's Note:**

> guess who's been rewatching the office and crying over jim and pam lol. i haven't written bleach fic since early 2013 but here we are.

He’s standing outside in the parking lot, fiddling with his phone and earbuds. It’s late and everyone’s gone home. Ichigo presses play and Peter Gabriel fills his ears. 

“Got anything good?” 

Ichigo turns to look and sees Orihime standing in front of him. She holds out her hand, a soft smile on her face. Ichigo smiles back and hands her the unused earbud. 

“In Your Eyes. Good choice.” Orihime bobs her head to the music. The dim lights from the front doors cast a glow on her copper hair. 

The two listen in silence. Ichigo wishes this moment never ends.

“Hey, do you want to go to Poor Ri-” He starts but headlights blind him. Orihime pulls away from him and the earbuds dangle off his phone. 

A pickup truck, Orihime’s fiancé’s truck, pulls into the lot. The windows roll down and a blue-haired head pokes out of the open window.

“Orihime, let’s go! Nnoitra sunk a shit ton of money in the jet skis.” Grimmjow yells. Orihime stalls to say something. Grimmjow lays on the horn. “C’mon!”

“I...I’ll see you on Monday!” Orihime looks over her shoulder as she runs to meet Grimmjow. 

Ichigo doesn’t leave after the pickup truck speeds off or even after the lot’s flood lights shut off. 

 

**+**

  
“And I feel God in this Chili’s tonight.” Orihime concludes. She then thrusts her arm in the air and lets out a whoop. She runs back to her table where Ichigo is standing. She throws her arms around him in a hug and pulls him in for a kiss. 

He almost kisses her back but breaks off. Their coworkers keep clapping and Aizen launches into a horrible Frank Sinatra impression. Orihime climbs back into her seat. She sips at her second drink, snorting at Aizen’s jokes. Ichigo watches her sway a bit as she laughs.

“What?” Orihime giggles. She jabs the plastic straw between her fingers at the martini glass. 

“You are so drunk.” Ichigo laughs.

 

They’re in a parking lot again. A Chili’s employee is talking to the crew about photocopying Orihime’s license and banning her from the chain. 

Orihime is laughing and Ichigo holds her steady, trying to get her to not fall. She already fell off her seat once during the Dundies. 

Orihime suddenly stops and goes silent. “Can I ask you a question?”

Ichigo smiles. “Shoot.”

Orihime looks at him and she’s about to ask him when she notices the camera crew. 

“I just wanted to say thanks.” 

 

**+**   
  


Grimmjow’s truck drives off. Orihime waves, watching the truck disappear off the road. She was looking forward to spending time with her fiancé this evening but he deemed casino night a waste of time. Just as she’s about to head back inside the warehouse for another round of craps, she runs into Ichigo. 

“How’s your night so far?” He asks Orihime. She smiles at him like her husband-to-be didn’t abandon her again. Hey, at least it’s not like the time he left her at a minor league hockey game. 

“Pretty good since I’ve been winning all your money.” Orihime teases. Ichigo laughs an easy laugh. The music and conversation from the warehouse floats into the parking lot. 

“Can I talk you about something real quick?” He asks her. 

“About how you want to give me more of your money?” She jokes. 

The way she smiles makes him want to kiss her right then and there.

“I’m in love with you.” He just says it without thinking. Her smile drops.

“What?” 

“I’m sorry that it’s really weird for you to hear but I...needed you to hear it.” Ichigo looks away from Orihime. 

She takes a step back. “What’re you doing? What do you expect me to say?”

He takes her hands in his. “I just wanted to let you know how I feel about you.”   


“You have no idea how much your friendship means to me,” she begins.

“I don’t just want to be your friend; I wanna be more than that.”

“I… I can’t. I-I’m sorry if you misinterpreted our friendship.” 

She sees the tear roll down his cheek and she so wants to reach out and wipe it away but she can’t.

Ichigo lets Orihime go and goes back to the warehouse. For a brief moment, when he opens the side door, it almost feels like nothing happened. 

 

**+**   
  


They're sitting in the break room together, just the two of them alone.

“It’s so weird not being able to talk to you.” Orihime pops a few chips in her mouth. Ichigo smiles and shrugs.

“What?” Orihime asks. She smiles back.

He shrugs again.

“You look like you have something really important to tell me and you just  _ can’t  _ for some reason.” Orihime inquires playfully. Ichigo gives another shrug.

“Come on, you can tell me anything. You know that.”


End file.
